


Coffee Shop Reunion

by DrChickenSlinger



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, GaaLee, GaaLeeGaa_Holiday_Exchange, LeeGaa, M/M, coffee shop AU, happy holidays!, naruto - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21663928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrChickenSlinger/pseuds/DrChickenSlinger
Summary: Gaara and Lee were best friends in elementary school, but lost contact. Now that Gaara is back in Konoha, will he be able to find Lee again?GaaLeeGaa Gift Exchange present for SarcasticFallenAngel!
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Comments: 8
Kudos: 68
Collections: GaaLee / LeeGaa Holiday Exchange





	Coffee Shop Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SarcasticallyA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarcasticallyA/gifts).



> This is a gift for the lovely SarcasticFallenAngel for the GaaLeeGaa Holiday Exchange! Surprise! I was your secret gifter :) I hope you enjoy this! I love writing about our boys... Happy Holidays!
> 
> If you've ever read any of my fics and they've made you smile, consider donating to my ko-fi! I've recently decided to pursue freelance work, so things are a bit uncertain at the moment. Thanks!  
> https://ko-fi.com/drchickenslinger0777

Gaara sat at the edge of the playground, absentmindedly poking a scab on his knee. He had fallen on the asphalt a few days before. He had started crying, but was immediately silenced when a few of the mean, older kids called him a crybaby and kicked dirt in his face. He immediately quieted down, but wasn’t able to stop the tears from streaming down his face and tracking dirt over his cheeks. As he tried to blink the grit out of his eyes, he looked across the playground to see a boy a bit older than him holding a jump rope. He had a long black braid and thick black eyebrows. He looked upset about something. When the boy started walking toward Gaara, he got up quickly, running away with blood streaming down his leg before the boy could do something to him like the other kids did. 

Gaara had moved to this new school at the start of second grade. He had tried really hard to make friends, but no one was willing to talk to him. They said that he was scary. But he didn’t feel scary. He just felt hurt and lost. So he decided to stop trying. That’s why he was sitting alone on the edge of the playground. No one would push him on the swings. No one would ask him to play kickball. So why bother?

Gaara continued to poke at his knee, when the sun was suddenly blocked. Gaara tensed, but didn’t look up. 

“Hi!” he heard from above him. 

Silence. 

“Hello!” he heard after a few more seconds. 

More silence. 

Gaara tensed even further when the voice sat next to him. 

“Are you okay?” he heard the voice say with a surprising softness. Gaara, deciding that he was getting a little annoyed, looked to his right. There sat the boy with the braid and large eyebrows. 

“What?” he asked, frowning back at the boy with eyebrows that were practically non-existent compared to his. 

“Are you okay?” he asked a little louder, his round eyes riddled with concern. “I saw you sitting alone, and I know that I do not like being alone!”

Gaara stared back at him, blinking. He wasn’t used to someone being concerned about him. Not knowing what to say, he decided to just not say anything at all. He turned back to his scab and started poking it again. 

“Well, my name is Rock Lee and I think we should be friends! You can just call me ‘Lee’ though.”

Lee paused. Gaara listened, though he didn’t show it. Lee laughed. 

“I know what you are thinking. Rock does sound way cooler! But, my mom says… well, said… that—“

Lee started to sniffle loudly. Gaara watched out from the corner of his eye and saw Lee wipe big tears from off his cheeks. Gaara turned to face him fully, even more concerned than before. 

“S-sorry. My parents died last year and it still makes me really sad.”

Gaara blinked. 

“My mom died when I was a baby,” he offered, trying to find anything that could possibly help this strange boy feel better. “My dad is still alive, but he’s a butt head.”

Lee stopped sniffling and looked over at Gaara, his tiny face screwed up. Before Gaara could get up and walk away, Lee burst out laughing.

“That is so funny! You are so silly.”

Gaara looked at him slightly confused. “No, my name is Gaara.”

Lee laughed again, his mouth opening wide enough to show his missing teeth. 

“I meant that what you said was silly!” He looked down shyly, poking the dirt below them. “I like your name.”

Gaara watched him poke at the dirt. “Okay.”

“I saw those older kids being mean to you the other day,” Lee said, drawing a frowny face in the dust. “They are not very nice to me either.”

Gaara tucked his legs into himself, resting his chin on his knees.

“But, I promise that I will work hard to become stronger than them! That way if they hurt you again, I will kick the socks off of them.”

Lee suddenly swiped at the dirt, somersaulted away from Gaara, and struck a ridiculously confident pose.

“I have just started taking kung fu classes! My foster dad signed me up.” 

Gaara watched as Lee jumped into the air, sweeping his leg in a less-than-graceful arc. 

“My teacher, Gai-sensei, says that you can only fight people to defend someone important. So I promise that I will do my best to defend you!”

Gaara scrunched his eyebrows as Lee stuck his thumb out, smiling widely. He pinched himself on the arm lightly. His big brother, Kankuro, said that if you ever thought you were dreaming, to pinch yourself and you’d wake up. It helped when he was having nightmares.

But this time, he didn’t wake up. What a strange school day this was.

Gaara watched as Lee continued to kick and punch the air. He had to admit, it was somewhat entertaining. It definitely beat poking his scabs.

After a few more minutes, Lee walked back over to Gaara, panting slightly with a bright red face. He stuck his hand out in front of his face.

“Gaara, do you want to go play? I’ll push you on the swings!”

Gaara looked at his outstretched hand, then back up to Lee’s face. He stood, but didn’t take it. He began to walk over to the swingset, Lee walking along. He ran ahead, excited to play, then realized he had left Gaara behind. So, he would fall back and walk beside him for a few seconds. But then something would catch his eye, so he would fall behind. This pattern continued throughout the rest of recess, and multiples recesses after.

Gaara and Lee continued to play together for the remainder of that year. The bullies didn’t bug them, which Lee attributed to his hard work and determination. What actually happened, was Gaara’s older sister, Temari, talked to his teacher. He had stopped the bullies in their tracks. But, Gaara saw how happy Lee was thinking it was all him that he never said otherwise. Not that Gaara really talked much anyway. 

Unfortunately, Gaara and his family moved away at the end of second grade. He didn’t even get a chance to tell Lee he was moving or say goodbye. He coped by telling himself that he never really cared much about Lee in the first place. He was just someone to spend time with during breaks at school. But he found his thoughts drifting to him from time to time. According to Temari, Gaara had a crush on Lee. But by the time Gaara realized that, it was years too late. 

And now that he was back in that same town, he was thinking of Lee more than ever. He had remembered enjoying living there, even though he was young. It also helped that the college near that area had a great program in plant biology. He had even managed to start a small gardening club with a few of his fellow students. But even with as busy as he was, his thoughts managed to drift back to that fierce little boy he went to school with. The loneliness he often felt didn’t help.

As he watched the rain trickle down the bus window, he attempted to redirect his thoughts. Sometimes he would get too into them, even going as far as considering tracking Lee down. But that would be crazy. Right? He wasn’t that lonely...

After a few more minutes of staring melancholically out the window, Gaara arrived to his stop. He slung his bag over his shoulder, then made his way off the bus, avoiding all eye contact. He stepped out and into the rain, throwing his hood over his head and popping one of his ear buds in. Light music began to play as he made the remainder of his journey to work.

He had started working at Konoha Coffee at the beginning of the semester, needing something to help pay for his textbooks. His scholarship didn’t cover much beyond tuition. He didn’t mind the work, as long as he was only making drinks and not on the register. His coworkers usually let him keep to himself. And the free caffeine was always a plus.

He stepped into the coffee shop, the smell of the ground beans filling his nose. At the sound of the bell, his coworker Shikamaru looked up lazily from the counter. He nodded a greeting as best as he could while his chin was resting in his hand. Gaara nodded back, somewhat relieved. Shikamaru was one of his more relaxed coworkers. Since they both had the evening shift, work was almost guaranteed to be a bit slower, save for the occasional college student cramming for a test.

Gaara stepped behind the counter, walking to a small back area for employees. He shrugged off his hoodie, hanging it up and shaking his hair out. It was most likely a mess, but then again, it always was. He grabbed his clean apron off of the hook, and hung it around his neck. He wrapped the strings behind him, wrapping them all the way around his middle, then tied it in the front. After anxiously cracking his knuckles, he stepped back to the front counter.

Shikamaru looked over at him, then stood up straight, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his back.

“We have a new hire starting today. I guess the boss is preparing for the busy season or something. I’m training them on the register for the entire shift. Can you cover drinks?”

Gaara sighed with relief internally. That meant that he’d be left to his own devices for the rest of the night.

“Yeah, sure.”

Shikamaru sighed. “Cool. Then, tomorrow, can you train him on drinks?”

Gaara’s relief vanished. “Why me?” he asked, his pale eyes narrowing in on Shikamaru.

Shikamaru glared right back. They normally got along, but neither liked to be bossed around or questioned.

“Because I’m the shift lead, first of all. Second of all, you’re the best at it. Any other questions?”

Gaara rolled his eyes. “No.”

Shikamaru turned around and muttered, “Troublesome,” to himself. He seemed to do that a lot. Gaara wondered if it was some kind of nervous habit. 

He turned back to the coffee machines. Luckily for Gaara, they didn’t boss him around or talk back. He began to make himself a latte, just as the bell on the door chimed once again.

Knowing that Shikamaru had to cover the front, Gaara didn’t bother turning around. He continued to steam his milk, waiting for the order to inevitably come in. 

“Hello! My name is Rock Lee, I was told to ask for Shikamaru. It is my first day working here!”

Gaara froze. Rock Lee? Like the kid with the braid? It’s possible there were other Rock Lee’s, but still…

“Fuck!” Gaara growled, the metal container burning his hand as he let the milk heat for too long. He dropped it, causing hot milk to spill all over the floor as it clattered loudly. Gaara cursed again, holding his bright red hand.

“Gaara? Are you okay?” Shikamaru asked, turning quickly and grabbing a rag. He carefully mopped up the milk, doing his best to not get burned too. Gaara sighed, grabbing the still hot cup from the floor and walking over to the sink. Ignoring Shikamaru’s question, he let it fall in with a clatter as he turned on the faucet to run cool water over his burning hand.

“Um, is there something I could do to help?” Lee asked, leaning over the counter to look at the mess.

Shikamaru peered over Gaara’s shoulder, making sure he wasn’t too seriously injured. Seeing that he wasn’t, he turned back to Lee. 

“Eh, that’s okay, Lee. Go ahead and go into the backroom, there’s some paperwork you need to fill out before we get started.”

“Okey dokey!” Lee said, using his hands to propel himself over the counter. Gaara glanced back briefly, but turned back to the sink just as fast. Even with the small glimpse he had been given, he could tell that this Rock Lee was definitely the same one he had spent his whole year of second grade with.

“Uh, Lee, first lesson. Don’t hop over the counter like that.”

“Oh, I am so sorry, Shikamaru! I will walk around next time. I thought that would be more efficient, but I suppose it is not the most sanitary…”

Shikamaru mumbled under his breath again. By this time, Gaara’s hand had cooled down a considerable amount. He turned the faucet off and began to inspect it. Luckily it hadn’t burned enough to blister, but it was definitely going to be sore for the rest of the day. So, not only would he have to deal with Lee, but making drinks was going to be ten times harder.

Shikamaru came back out just as the bell rang once again. 

“Hey, Sakura,” he called, lazily raising his hand as he walked up to the register. “What’ll you have?”

Sakura was a regular, she being friends with Shikamaru. Even though he had seen her around a lot, Gaara had never talked to her much. 

“Just the usual.”

Shikamaru snorted. “Yeah, okay. So you just expect me to memorize your order like that?”

“I mean, you do have a photographic memory. So yes.”

Shikamaru snorted and grabbed a cup, writing Sakura’s drink order on it. She leaned over the counter, her toned arms bulging slightly. From what Gaara had heard, she was a competitive weight lifter. Impressive.

“Gaara, is your hand okay? Do you need to take off for the rest of the day?”

Gaara turned around to grab the cup from him. 

“No, I’ll be fine.” As an afterthought, he added, “Thanks.”

“Yeah, sure thing. Just let me know if you need help with something. You probably shouldn’t heat up any more milk tonight,” he said with a slight laugh. Gaara got to work making Sakura’s drink.

By the time he had finished it and handed it over, Lee was back.

“Shikamaru, I-- oh! Sakura! What brings you here?”

She laughed. “I always come here! Gaara makes the best drinks.” She gave him a wink. He blinked at her, nodded slightly, then turned back around. 

“Oh, yes… of course.”

“Oh, shit, sorry Gaara. I forgot to introduce you two. Gaara, this is Lee, our new hire. Lee, this is Gaara. He’s pretty much the coffee expert around here.”

Gaara began cleaning off the steaming wand. “Just doing my job.”

Shikamaru scoffed. “He’s also the ice prince and keeps to himself for the most part. Anyway.”

Shikamaru, Sakura, and Lee continued to chat with each other while Gaara continued to clean. Not wanting to burn himself again, he decided to abandon his latte in favor of an iced coffee. The cold cup would help soothe his burned hand. 

As he continued to mix his drink, his skin prickled, knowing he was being watched. At one point, he turned to see who it was. All he caught was Lee’s head whipping quickly forward, his hair swishing. Gaara hadn’t gotten a good look at him yet, but he had definitely changed.

Where his face used to be soft and round, it was now sharp and rigid, though the apple of his cheeks still held a baby-like softness. His braid was completely gone, his hair now being styled in a bowl cut, which Gaara thought was an interesting choice. He was also much taller, obviously, but his physique was incredible. Gaara absently wondered if he had kept up with kung fu. If he had, it definitely paid off. 

“Um, are you okay?” Gaara heard as Lee stepped close to his side. What shocked him even more was the gentle hand that had been placed on his shoulder. He slowly looked over to meet Lee’s eyes. They were as fiercely dark as they had always been, hinted with a gentleness fitting of the small boy. Not that he was really small anymore. 

Suddenly uncomfortable, Gaara stepped back slightly, causing Lee to move his hand.

“O-oh! Sorry, I just… you--”

“I’m fine,” Gaara said, cutting him off. “It’s just a burn.”

Lee paused. “Burns hurt, though.”

Gaara opened his mouth, then shut it just as quickly. He grabbed his drink, walking toward the back. Lee reached out his hand, but was interrupted by Shikamaru.

“Lee, Sakura’s about to leave. Then we’ll get you started on the register.”

Lee whipped around. “Oh, yes! Of course!”

The chattering picked up again, muffled slightly as Gaara walked into the backroom. He took a few sips of his coffee, the bitter taste of embarrassment in his mouth. He stood staring at his red hand for a few seconds longer, then walked back out to the front after setting his drink down.

The rest of the night passed fairly slow. Shikamaru would show Lee how to fill out the orders on the register, then he would cheerily pass them onto Gaara. He tried to avoid Lee’s gaze, not wanting him to catch on to who he really was. Or maybe he did want him to and was worried that he wouldn’t. He wasn’t really sure. So far it seemed like Lee had no idea and that he was just a concerned coworker. His compassion hadn’t left him as he got older, it seemed. 

After what felt like forever, Shikamaru had locked the front door.

“Lee, I’m gonna have you sweep the floor tonight. I’ll teach you how to cash out some other time.”

Lee nodded vigorously as Shikamaru handed him a broom. Gaara began to wipe down the counters, watching as Lee focused intently on removing every speck of dust from the floor. His intense focus made Gaara chuckle. 

“What’s so funny?” Shikamaru asked, the sound of money being counted filling the small space between them.

Gaara coughed lightly. “Oh, nothing.”

Shikamaru shoved the stack of bills back into the register and shut it. He stepped back over to Gaara, resting an elbow on the counter he had just cleaned. Gaara looked at him annoyed.

“Are you laughing at Lee?”

Gaara frowned. “No.”

Shikamaru’s already snarky eyes narrowed. “He’s a good guy. You just need to get to know him. Give him a chance, will ya?”

Gaara blinked. “I haven’t done anything.”

Shikamaru stared him down for a moment longer. He sighed, then stood up straight, a yawn escaping from his mouth.

“Lee, that’s good for the night. Time to head home.”

Lee looked up from the floor, a streak of dirt smudged across his cheek. Gaara turned away from him, his cheeks burning. Using his rag, he swiped at the spot Shikamaru’s elbow had been resting, then threw it under the counter in the dirty bin. He followed his two coworkers to the back, relieved to finally be going home.

He made no attempt at further conversation, simply muttered “goodnight” then walked out the back door without another word. He could feel Lee’s eyes on him the entire time. 

If Lee didn’t figure out who he was soon, Gaara decided to give up hope that he ever would. What a ridiculous idea it had been to ever try to find Lee again in the first place. 

When he got back to his small apartment, Gaara ripped off a leaf from his aloe vera plant, smearing the gel onto his palm. He lay in bed, his hand stinging slightly as he thought about homework, the club, and his plants. But no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts would continuously drift back to work. And inevitably, Lee.

The next day, Gaara made his way back to the coffee shop in the rain. His breath fogged the bus window as he found himself once again staring out at the rainy town. Only a few minutes into his stewing, he heard a voice from beside him.

“Um, Gaara? Can I sit here?”

Gaara whipped his head around, his eyes wide. There stood Lee in all of his glory. He seemed even taller today, seeing as Gaara was already sitting down. He must have taken a second too long to respond, because Lee began to walk away, rubbing the back of his head.

“Wait, Lee, I’m sorry. Please sit down,” Gaara said a little too loudly, grabbing his arm and pulling him onto the open space next to him. As soon as he had sat down, he let go of Lee’s hand, staring down at his own slightly perplexed. He looked back at Lee.

“Uh, sorry.”

The frown that had been sitting on Lee’s face disappeared into a dazzling smile. Gaara shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“No need to apologize! Thank you for letting me sit here. It is always nice to see a friendly face!”

Gaara scoffed. “Friendly?”

Lee’s smile grew bigger somehow. “Yes, of course!”

He turned to face the front of the bus, his hands shuffling in his lap. Gaara crossed his arms over his chest.

“What--”

“Did--”

Lee laughed. “Sorry, you go ahead!

Gaara looked at him nervously. “No, you started first.”

Lee laughed again. Gaara felt like he could get used to that sound. “What brings you back to Konoha?”

Gaara swallowed loudly. “Back?”

Lee’s smile dropped and his cheeks turned bright red. “O-oh! I am so sorry, I thought I recognized you, but-- my apologies, that was silly of me.”

Gaara’s chest swelled at that. Lee had recognized him?

“No, I’m sorry, I… I recognized you, too. Elementary school, right? You had a long braid?”

Lee looked over at Gaara, his already large eyes growing wider. “Yes! I knew it was you almost immediately, but I was too nervous to say anything.”

Gaara scrunched his still-light eyebrows and rested fingers on his cheek. “You recognized me?” He had thought that he had changed a lot, but apparently not.

“Yes! The biggest difference in your appearance is the black smudged around your eyes.” Lee paused. “But it’s not a bad difference! It makes the color of them look even more striking!”

Gaara felt his cheeks heat up again.

“Okay.”

They sat in silence for a few seconds longer. 

“So… what brings you back to Konoha?”

“Oh, uh, school. I am majoring in plant biology at the local college.”

Lee gasped and pressed his hands together. “That is so wonderful! I am also going there!”

Gaara smiled lightly. “I’m surprised we haven’t run into each other yet. What is your major?”

“Oh, I am still undecided. I am just working on my generals for now.”

Gaara nodded slightly, then faced the front again. They rode in silence for the remainder of the trip, Gaara not knowing what else to say. Once they got to their stop, Lee stood up and waited next to the seat, holding his arm out.

“After you.” He smiled timidly for the first time that day. 

Gaara stood up, scrunching his eyebrows slightly, then walked past Lee. He felt him walking behind as he made his way toward the front of the bus. His anxiety heightened somewhat, but he made it off before anything went terribly wrong.

“Is it okay if I walk with you?” Lee asked, following Gaara as he made his way to the shop.

“I mean, we’re both going the same way, so it makes sense.”

“...right.”

They walked in silence, their arms brushing occasionally. Each time they did, Gaara spaced himself from Lee. It’s not that he… didn’t want to be close to him. It just felt unsettling. But in a weird way. It kind of made Gaara want even more contact, which was far too overwhelming. 

“Here we are!” Lee said as they got to the shop, pulling the door open and beaming at Gaara. He mumbled a “thank you” as he brushed passed Lee. 

“Gaara. Lee,” they heard Shikamaru say at the front counter. “You guys will be on drinks today.”

Gaara looked behind him where Lee stood with a determined frown on his face. He nodded once, then went behind the counter, the proper way this time. Gaara followed him, dragging his feet on the floor. 

“Take it easy on him, okay?” Shikamaru muttered under his breath as Gaara walked by. He looked over to him and nodded. 

Once they had their aprons on, Gaara began showing Lee where everything was kept. He bounced on the balls of his feet in anticipation. 

“And here’s the ice,” Gaara said, gesturing to the small ice chest underneath the back counter. “Make sure to not leave the scoop inside. It’s against health codes.”

“Yes, of course!” Lee replied, scribbling it down on a tiny notebook he kept in his apron pocket. 

“So that’s where we keep everything. There’s not much more I can teach you until we get an order.” Gaara stuck his finger under his chin thoughtfully. “I usually make a coffee for myself at the start of my shift. You could try making that?”

A light pink tinged Lee’s cheeks. “Of course! Though I am not sure that it will be good enough for you…”

Gaara blinked then, trying to ease some of Lee’s anxiety, smiled softly. “I’m not picky. You’ll do great.”

Lee’s cheeks grew pinker as he smiled wide. He nodded once, then tightened the strings on his apron. 

“In that case, what can I make for you?”

Gaara grabbed a cup and a marker from the small holder next to the register. He spoke his order as he wrote it down. 

“Iced coffee, extra shot of espresso. A little bit of oat milk and half a pump of caramel.”

He handed it to Lee, their fingers brushing lightly. 

“Got it! Er, how does the espresso machine work?”

Gaara smiled. “Let me show you.”

He showed Lee how to tamp down the coffee grounds and screw them into the machine. He continued to explain the coffee making process while Lee began to mix his drink, looking at the cup every few seconds to be sure he was getting it right. 

“Looks good, Lee,” Gaara said, inspecting the drink as soon as everything had been added. “All that’s left to do is mix it. You can grab a long metal spoon from behind you.”

“Of course!” Lee said enthusiastically, ecstatic at the praise. He grabbed the drink and turned quickly. Unfortunately, Shikamaru had chosen that exact moment to step away from the counter. His foot got tangled in Lee’s, causing him to fall straight to the ground. With Gaara’s drink in hand. 

“Shit, Lee, are you okay?” Shikamaru asked, stumbling backwards. 

Lee sat on the floor drenched in ice, oat milk, and coffee. He looked up at Gaara, ignoring Shikamaru’s question while his lip wobbled. Gaara dropped to his knees in front of him, soaking his jeans in the liquid. 

“I’m gonna go get some towels,” Shikamaru mumbled, walking to the backroom. 

“Gaara, I am so, so sorry. I cannot believe I ruined your drink and wasted ingredients.” Lee wiped his face and sniffled. “I thought I was doing so well.”

Gaara grabbed Lee’s arms, looking up and down them for any bruises or cuts. “Lee, don’t be silly. It wasn’t your fault. It’s no big deal. Remember when I spilled that milk yesterday?”

Lee gasped, running his hand through his sticky hair. “Oh no! I completely forgot to ask about your hand! Is it okay?”

Gaara dropped Lee’s arms and looked into his eyes. A warmth that he remembered feeling when he was a child spread through his chest. Though, this time it felt different. It made Gaara want to do something crazy. 

Gaara cleared his throat. “Yes, it’s fine. I put the gel from my aloe plant on it.”

“You have an aloe plant? How fantastic! Tell me more, please!” Lee responded, his dark eyes sparkling.

“Er, I think we should get you cleaned up first,” Shikamaru interrupted, plopping a few towels on Lee and Gaara.

“Oh… right,” Lee said, somewhat disappointed. Gaara gave him a small smile, then began rubbing the liquid off of his shirt. Lee’s already pink cheeks reddened.

Gaara stood up and offered his hand, much like Lee had done for him so long ago. Lee smiled up at him and grabbed it.

“Here, we can make you a drink instead. Maybe this time aim for your mouth, though.”

Lee’s hand lingered on Gaara’s a few seconds longer, then dropped to his side.

“Okay.”

After making a simple herbal tea for Lee, and redoing Gaara’s iced coffee, things seemed to be going much smoother. Having Lee around seemed to lighten Gaara’s mood. He was surprised at first, but remembered how he had felt the same when they both played together as little boys. Lee just had a comforting aura surrounding him. It helped him feel completely at ease.

Once a few more hours of training had passed, luckily without further spills, the three found themselves closing the shop down once again. Gaara swept the lobby while Shikamaru slowly taught Lee how to cash out. Gaara watched as Lee furrowed his eyebrows, his tongue poking out as he concentrated on counting coins. He turned away to grab the dust pan, smiling to himself.

After everything had been wiped down and prepped for the next morning, Shikamaru locked the front and they slipped out the back of the shop. Shikamaru waved a lazy farewell, then hopped into his car. Gaara and Lee stood somewhat awkwardly for a few moments. 

“Can I walk you to the bus stop?” Lee asked timidly, scratching the back of his head.

Gaara smiled. “Of course.”

They walked slowly to the stop, chatting about work and school. Their arms continued to brush, though this time, Gaara didn’t pull away. All too soon, they arrived at their destination.

“Well, I hope you have a good night!” Lee said, giving Gaara his signature thumbs up and a smile.

Gaara furrowed his light brows. “Are you not getting on?”

“No, I actually live down the street. I only took the bus earlier because I was coming from campus.”

Gaara opened his mouth slightly. “You walked all this way for me?”

“Of course! I… enjoy spending time with you. I missed you after you moved.”

Gaara was quiet for a few moments. “I missed you too, Lee.”

Lee smiled gently at him. “Well, I will see you soon. Have a good one!”

The urge to do something crazy from earlier popped back into Gaara’s mind. So, this time he acted on it.

“Wait, Lee?” Gaara said timidly, reaching out after him.

Lee twirled around, staring at Gaara. “Yes?”

Gaara swallowed loudly. “Would you… want to maybe… catch up sometime? We could go get dinner?”

“Like a date?!” Lee asked, bouncing on his toes as his eyes shone.

Gaara paused. “Yeah-- if you want--”

“Of course I do!” Lee all but yelled, grabbing Gaara’s good hand in his own. “That would be so wonderful!”

Gaara glanced down at their intertwined hands, then back up to Lee’s eager face. “Okay, great. We can plan something at work tomorrow?”

Lee nodded enthusiastically. “I am very much looking forward to it! I will see you then.”

Before Gaara could react, Lee bent forward, placing a light kiss to Gaara’s cheek. He pulled back, his cheeks bright red to match Gaara’s burning one.

“Have a good night!”

“You too,” Gaara mumbled, watching Lee run off. After a few more moments, his bus arrived. He climbed on and sat down, staring out the window at the dark street. A small smile crept onto his face. He regretted not finding Lee earlier, but he was happy to finally be reunited with the boy who once had the long braid.


End file.
